Hunting Grounds

The sky over the Wasteland was a murky gray, and the wind biting at the ground was bone-chillingly cold.

Two jeeps and a pickup truck sped across the uneven terrain. The doors were emblazoned with a dragon-head and lightning bolt emblem, representing the Thunder Dragon Company.

Chen Chong sat in the bed of the pickup, enduring the violent jolts and the freezing wind whipping against his face. Yet, he remained sitting upright, eyes closed in meditation. His body rose and fell in rhythm with the truck's bouncing, as natural as if he had merged into the vehicle itself.

"I really have to hand it to you, still practicing your Breathing Method in this state."

Pei Li's voice drifted over from beside him.

"I didn't expect us to be dragged out here so soon."

Chen Chong opened his eyes.

"Practice more. If I can break through, I'll have a bit more confidence."

"Impossible."

Pei Li said with ironclad certainty.

"The training methods taught in the compound make it impossible for you to break through on your own; otherwise, how would they keep you under their thumb? You have to trade for the resources they control."

Chen Chong knew this, but he didn't stop.

A short man sitting across from them in the truck bed smiled.

"As expected of our most famous madman lately, training anytime, anywhere. No wonder you could stomp Zhang Yao and beat up Li Jun! I reckon the throne of Thunder Dragon's boxing champion should be yours in the future. It's just a pity that no matter how strong a fighter is, you still end up in the back of a Security Department truck, heh heh."

His tone was strange and mocking, leaving it unclear whether he was being snide toward Chen Chong, the Security Department, or both.

The man was Kong Qingsong, one of the top-tier Official Fighters, his skill level not below that of Zhang Yao. Beside him, leaning against the truck bed, was Peng Wei.

Four people in one truck bed—these were the fighters summoned for this mission. They sat in the wind alongside several crates of equipment and supplies.

Even though they were all strong, sturdy combatants who had reached a certain level of cultivation, they were still wrapped tightly in thick cotton coats. After two hours of bouncing and wind-whipping since leaving town, all four of their faces were frozen stiff, Chen Chong included.

Chen Chong didn't take the bait from Kong Qingsong, instead turning his head to ask Pei Li:

"How much longer until we arrive?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Pei Li said coldly.

Chen Chong was speechless. She was the one who had started the conversation.

"Should be soon."

Peng Wei looked around and said in a low voice.

Not long after he spoke, the pickup let out a piercing screech of brakes, a sudden stop that nearly threw all four of them out of the truck bed.

The two jeeps stopped as well. A total of ten armed personnel in camouflage, wearing steel helmets and carrying live ammunition, climbed out of the three vehicles. They were a full combat squad from the Thunder Dragon Security Department.

Chen Chong and the others jumped out of the truck bed as well, but the moment their feet hit the ground, a middle-aged man who appeared to be the leader walked over and said coldly:

"Who told you to get down? Get back up there and unload the supplies."

Chen Chong's brows twitched, and the expressions of the other three darkened as well.

However, no one spoke. Firstly, their mission was to fully cooperate with the Security Department, and secondly, the man was the captain of this squad—the only person present who had entered a state of cultivation—and he was in charge of the operation.

The four of them worked in a relay, lifting several large crates from the truck. Inside were ammunition, grenades, food, purified water, and a crate specifically containing equipment for dealing with the Earth Dragon.

The combat squad offered no help, scattering in twos and threes as if the supplies had nothing to do with them. They either inspected their gear, stretched their bodies, or leaned together, staring at the four fighters with lewd gazes—primarily fixed on Pei Li.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I've never played with legs that long before."

"Exactly, it'd feel like heaven to have them on your shoulders."

The security personnel spoke without restraint, making no effort to avoid the four fighters. Pei Li glared at them coldly, only to be met with even more brazen whistling.

"Alright, keep it down."

The captain finally spoke calmly, putting an end to the jeering.

However, he kept scanning the surroundings, not even glancing at Chen Chong and the others. It was clear he wasn't speaking for the sake of team morale, but because he feared the noise might disturb something.

The four of them could only work in silence.

The Security Department was a private army personally built by Long Zhibin, equivalent to his direct troops. In the Wasteland, it was truly difficult to raise such a well-equipped, combat-specialized force; not every tycoon in town possessed one. Therefore, the Security Department was arguably the most important department in Thunder Dragon. Even the most ordinary security personnel held a higher status than the grassroots managers of other departments, let alone fighters from the bars who hadn't even entered a state of cultivation.

Chen Chong and the others finally finished unloading the large crates and opened them on the ground.

The captain directed his men to sort the supplies, then ordered the four fighters:

"Four detectors. Each of you take one."

Pei Li's expression shifted slightly.

"Captain Liu, that's not how the rules work, is it?"

Chen Chong also frowned.

He had heard Pei Li explain the procedure for hunting Earth Dragons when they were on their way. In winter, Earth Dragons entered a light sleep, hiding deep underground. It required personnel to carry a set of specialized ultrasonic detectors to search the Hunting Grounds.

But the problem was that these detectors were sensitive to the Earth Dragons, and the Earth Dragons were equally sensitive to the ultrasonic waves of the detectors.

Often, by the time the personnel discovered the Earth Dragon, the Earth Dragon had already awakened and discovered them.

Then, it locked onto the human who had disturbed its hibernation.

In the past joint hunts Pei Li had participated in, there was always at least one fighter who had entered the Realm—usually the deputy captain of the combat squad—taking the lead with a detector, while the other fighters provided support from the sides.

However, although this team was at full capacity, their strength was lacking; only the captain, Liu Xun, had entered the Realm.

If he was not prepared to take the lead, the other four would be at great risk. A mature Earth Dragon was not something someone who hadn't entered the Realm could contend with. If it were drawn out, it would require Liu Xun to intervene in a very timely manner.

Liu Xun cast a cold glance at Pei Li:

"This operation is under my full command. The rules are set by me, and you only need to cooperate."

"Now, please pick up your equipment immediately and begin the operation."

Under the pressure of Liu Xun's icy aura, the four had no other choice but to each pick up the heavy handheld ultrasonic detectors.

People who have entered the Realm are highly valued in Thunder Dragon. If even one of the four had been a contracted fighter, they would never have dared to adopt this attitude, and Liu Xun would have become much more polite.

But they were not; on the contrary, only Liu Xun was, and he was also a captain in the Security Department. That meant he was doubly valued, someone ordinary people could not afford to provoke, let alone now.

The four moved in a rough fan shape toward the Hunting Grounds area ahead.

Chen Chong carried a radio-like machine on his back, connected to a long rod that he held in his hand, sweeping it constantly across the ground.

If he discovered an Earth Dragon, the machine would sound an alarm, and then... he would immediately sprint toward Liu Xun's side.

Chen Chong had made up his mind.

Although Liu Xun's order was completely the opposite—telling them to run as far away as possible—Chen Chong would not act as an Earth Dragon lure to sacrifice himself. It didn't matter if the formation was scattered; he had to stay closely united around this captain.

The Earth Dragon was a typical mutated creature, and a very powerful one at that. Although such exotic beasts were generally considered equivalent to wild animals in this world, Chen Chong had never seen one, even though he had enjoyed its broth many times.

He hoped to see one in a moment, but it would be best if he wasn't the first to see it.

Just as Chen Chong was thinking this, he heard a rapid, urgent "beep-beep" sound coming from a distance.

He jerked his head to the side and discovered that it was Kong Qingsong's alarm that had gone off. The short, stout fighter decisively tossed his equipment aside and turned to run toward the main group; it seemed he and Chen Chong shared the same heroic insight.

However, Chen Chong did not feel any sense of mutual understanding; instead, his expression changed.

He didn't know if this damn guy was panicking or what, but after making a turn, he was charging straight toward him!